Consequences
by LizStirling
Summary: My take on what would have happened if Kelly had not died and actually had a chance to meet Jenny back in '99. Would their story still be ruled by fate or does a fifteen year old teenager have a say in this? slight AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Hell on heels**

A/N: The title of every chapter is based on a song. This one is 'Hell on heels' by the Pistol Annies. This is my first multi chapter Jibbs story so I hope you'll enjoy it.

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"Dad, come on. We are going to be late." It was 7:15 in the morning and once again Kelly Gibbs found herself at the bottom of the stairs shouting for her father who was - as always - late. She loved her Dad more than anything else, but sometimes she wished he would bring some of the independence and confidence he showed at work home with him. It would definitely make her life a whole lot easier.

It had nearly been a month since the anniversary of her mothers death and her father was finally coming around again. Every year on the 28th of February he fell into this hole nobody could rescue him from. Kelly desperately wishes he would just come to terms with what happened. She knows he is hanging on for her, but sometimes she gets the impression that he is barley living and after the truck-load of women he dragged along the way, Kelly gave up hope that he would find the right women to make him live again.

"Dad, you have a meeting with Uncle Tom in 15 minutes and you have to drop me off at school first. So if you'd like to see your daughter with a college degree one day I suggest you better come down here, dressed, washed and shaved." After another minute she finally heard footsteps on the stairs and let out a satisfied sigh. "Jesus Kelly, calm down. Since when are you so eager to get to school anyway?" His daughter gave him her best Gibbs glare that was - by the way - pretty impressive and rolled her eyes. "Since I decided on becoming the US Ambassador to the European countries." Gibbs stopped mid-movement and stared at his daughter. "You what?" Kelly rolled her eyes again. "Can we please continue this conversation in the car. Preferable while it's moving towards school?" Without waiting for an answer she walked out the front door and to the passenger seat of the old red truck. Gibbs just shook his head. His little girl developed quite an attitude during the last year that was for sure. The marriage with Diane might just have been a little to much for the 15 year old teenager. He shook his head and grabbed the car keys as well as his gun and bandage.

10 minutes later the truck stopped in front of Kennedy-High School. "So tell me again, why do you want to be a politician?" Kelly rolled her eyes yet again and gave her dad a pitiful look. It probably wasn't easy for the one men on the planet who hated politicians most to find out that his only daughter wants to be exactly that. The only thing worse would be if she decided to become a lawyer. He definitely wouldn't get over that. "Listen dad, I know you hate politics, politicians and everything that has something to do with that, but I think I would be good at it. I really want to make a difference one day and I am good at negotiation. Just try to come to terms with it okay. This is nothing I decided over night. I thought it through and I already looked into colleges." Gibbs eyes just widened in disbelief. "Colleges. You aren't even sixteen." His daughter sighed, opened the door and got out of the car. "I am not gonna stay fifteen forever dad." With that said she slammed the car door shut and walked over to a group of girls waiting in front of the school.

The ding of the elevator alarmed William Decker and Stan Burly that their boss had finally arrived. After retreating to their desks as fast as possible, they tried to look as busy as could be. After all it wasn't a good idea to gave their temporary boss a reason to slap them into next weekend when they didn't know about his mood just yet. According to the frown on his face as he rounded the corner of the bullpen and his empty hands, he hadn't had a good morning and no morning coffee either. That was definitely a very scary combination.

But to the delight of his agents he just dropped his bag behind his table, turned around again and jogged up the stairs to the directors office. Barely 5 minutes later the ding of the elevator announced yet another arrival but the person who stepped out of the elevator looked nothing like Gibbs. The women was tall, leggy and a redhead. A dangerous combination if you asked Stand Burley. She wore dark-washed skinny jeans and a white blouse with a black leather jacket. On her feet was a pair of impossible high high heels and her red locks tumbled down her back in a high ponytail. If her red lipstick and the way she held herself was anything to go by this women was as confident as can be. She purposefully walked over to the stairs and as well as Gibbs went straight into the directors office. Burley just laughed. This was going to be an interesting morning.

Tom Morrow didn't even blink as his office door flew open and banged against the wall. After 5 years he was just as used to Gibbs way of entering his office as to his wife's moods and habits. "Agent Gibbs, take a seat." He didn't even care to look up from the papers he was currently reading. After he finished reading, he signed the file with practiced ease, put his pen down, folded his hands on top of the desk and finally looked up. "I found you a partner." Gibbs opened his mouth, stared at his boss, and closed it again. He swallowed and then tried again. "You what?" Smiling slightly Tom repeated his statement while talking very slowly as he would to a child. "I found you a partner. You know Burley and Decker were just your temporary team. They'll be gone by the end of July and then you'll need a partner who has your back. So I found you someone you can train and work with." Gibbs just raised an eyebrow. "You did?" His boss knitted his brows together in response. "That's what I just said. Are you deaf?" His voice was stern but his lips showed a hint of a smile which was enough to let Gibbs know that he wasn't half as serious as he let on.

After a few minutes of silence Gibbs realized that Morrow wasn't going to give up information anytime soon and was forced to ask the necessary facts. "Sooo… that agent, is he good?" Morrow smirked again and this time Gibbs was sure he was in a lot of trouble. "She is certainly a handful." Gibbs eyes widened again. "She?" But before Morrow had the chance to find an answer to that question his intercom buzzed. "What is it Jessica?" "Agent Shepard is here, sir. You want me to send her in?", his ever faithful assistant responded. Tom Morrow nodded and then realized his assistant couldn't see him. A little embarrassed he pushed the button on his intercom again to reply. "Yes, thank you Jessica." Seconds later the office door was opened a little less forcefully than the last time but still with enough strength to make an impression. In came sin on heels.

The women who was standing in the doorway had absolutely nothing in common with a NCIS field-agent. She was relatively tall, had legs which went on for a mile and wore the tightest fitting jeans Gibbs has seen in his entire life. On her feet was a pair of impossible high heels and her lips had a bright red color smeared across them. All of that was hinky, like Kelly would say, but what really threw him off were her flaming red locks. Gibbs shock his head, Morrow couldn't be serious about this, it had to be a sick joke.

He was openly staring and it pissed her off. Jenny Shepard might not have been with NCIS for long, but she knew what she was capable off. She had spent the most part of her probation time in the Los Angeles field office and really hadn't expected to be transferred to Washington. But she was confident enough to know that it was because she was a great agent and she had no intention to start all over again. If her new boss/soon to be partner didn't respect her, than she would force him too. So instead of calling him out on his blunt starring, she put on her best poker face and smiled. "Agent Shepard, nice to meet you." She stretched her hand out for him to shake and when he took it she made sure to squeeze extra hard and to not lose eye contact. She felt the urge to smile at his attempt to stare her down and stared right back with the corner of her lips quirking slightly upwards.

Saying she instantly unnerved him was an understatement. After he got over the first shock that was her looks, he quickly noticed that she wasn't anything like the women he usually dealt with and that made him feel something he hadn't felt in quite a while: Uncertainty. She didn't even seem bothered by his patented Gibbs-glare so this just added to the weird feeling in his stomach. She seemed sassy and disturbingly perfect. He would be damed if he let this slip.

But that was easier thought then done. After Morrow gave them the usual speech about good partnership and equality at the workplace he dismissed them and Jenny Shepard became officially the problem of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs but every attempt he made at getting her to lose her balance failed. She even hit it off with Decker and Burley who - normally - were even more chauvinistic than he was. She just batted her eyelashes at them and the idiots completely fell for it. But Gibbs couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her. That she was more dangerous than she let on. And what pissed him off most - to top all the other things above - was that he couldn't read her. His skills to look inside peoples heads and discover their wishes, beliefs and hopes completely failed when it came to her. So that evening on his way home Gibbs decided he couldn't size her up and therefore he just didn't like her.

After another round of silence Kelly Gibbs just couldn't stand it anymore. She let her fork fall loudly onto her plate and looked her dad square in the eye. "Okay Dad, come on. What happened today. You haven't been this grumpy since Stan contaminate that crime scene 6 weeks ago." But Gibbs just shock his head and grumbled something unintelligible. "What was that Dad? I didn't quite catch it", said Kelly loudly which earned her a groan from her father. He knew exactly he didn't stand a chance against his teenage daughter, after all he raised her and she was practically a mini-Gibbs. "Morrow assigned me a new partner today", he grumbled. Momentarily Kelly got more interested and sat up a little straighter. "Wow, really? That would be your first partner since Uncle Mike left. How is he?" Gibbs groaned again, this time a lot more dramatically. "She is the devil." "She?" Kelly started to bounce up and down on her chair, but was ultimately sobered by her Dad's hostility. "You are not gonna meet her Kelly. She would be a worse influence than Diane." And with that he got up and left for the basement stairs. Kelly sighed. Her fathers reaction could only mean one thing: His new partner was a redhead and they were in for one hell of a ride.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Angel with a shotgun**

A/N: 'Angel with a shotgun' by the Cab

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In the weeks to follow you could cut the tension in the bullpen with a knife. Gibbs outright refused to even acknowledge his new partner slash probie and in return Jenny Shepard slowly but steadily lost her patience with her boss. Their daily routine consisted off him ignoring the things she did or suggested and her trying her best to impress him even more.

Jenny Shepard just couldn't understand what her boss's problem was. She did good crime scene work, was a good fighter and an even better shot. Sure, she also was a women but somehow she didn't believe that that was the problem. Gibbs could be a chauvinistic bastard but he didn't judge people based on boobs or no boobs unlike most guys at the Navy Yard did. And exactly that was the point. Jenny didn't have a clue why he disliked her that much and it bugged her to no end.

Saying Gibbs was annoyed was an understatement. With every passing day there were less reason to not like Jenny Shepard. She proved herself to be very capable of the job, smart and had a good sense of humor. But he just couldn't figure her out. She was so different from every women he had ever met, he didn't know how to deal with her.

She didn't want to talk all the time. She could run unbelievable fast on high heels. She had no problem to literally rummage through mountains of garbage at a crime scene, but she got furious when she broke a nail. On the shooting range she would always hit the target right in the heart, but she refused to put a bullet in between the eyes. She did't feel the need to explain herself when she came up with a solution for a case and just expected everyone to trust her on it. She handled Burley's and Decker's chauvinistic jokes and actions just fine, but got totally protective if they insulted another women in front of her. To Gibbs she was strange. And as long as he couldn't figure her out he wouldn't trust her.

Little did they know that the next few hours were about to change everything.

It had been an uneventful day at the office. The team had been swamped by paperwork from their previous case and the mood was just generally down. Right now really everything sounded more interesting than paperwork. Around noon everyone was bored out of their minds and so when Jenny Shepard's phone started to ring the three males looked up in interest.

"Jenny Shepard here." To Jenny's surprise a very young female voice answered her. "Hey, you must be dads's new partner." Jenny knitted her brows together in confusion. "Who is this?" The girl on the other end sighed. "Sorry, I had no idea he didn't even mention me. I'm Kelly Gibbs, Jethro's daughter. And before you ask, I didn't want to call by dad, I called you on purpose." Jenny threw a quick glance at Gibbs who seemed to pay not much attention and slightly turned in her chair. "And why is that?"

Kelly took a deep breath. She knew as soon as her dad would know about her situation, everything would implode so she needed someone to keep a cool head. "I'm going to tell you why I called but you have to promise me that you won't freak out 'cause that's what my dad is gonna do when you tell him about what I just told you and I need someone who can keep his cool. I read your NCIS file and I trust you so don't mess this up." Now Jenny was curious as to what the young girl wants. „Okay, shoot." Again Kelly took a deep breath and forced her voice not to shake. "I'm at my school right now. I'm in a classroom at the west wing, room 118. Me and six other kids are trapped in this room together with a teacher who has an explosive belt around his waist. He seems pretty determined to blow the whole school up. The only thing that is keeping him from that right now am I with a Glock 19 in my hands. I need you to tell my dad what is happening right now and I need you to calm him down and help him to focus on the point, which is that this weapon is not loaded and sooner or later Mr. Gorden is gonna figure that out even if he stands 15 meters away from me. Can you do that for me?"

All there is on the other end is silence and for a moment Kelly is afraid that she actually judged Jenny Shepard wrong but than she hears her clear her throat at the other end of the line and knows she called the right person. "You want Gibbs to kill me?" Jenny finally asked and Kelly could hear how heavy her voice was so she appreciated that Jenny tried to lighten the mood. "I trust you to handle him." Jenny nodded even if she knows that Kelly can't see her. "Hang in there kiddo. I gotcha." And with that the line went dead."

Jenny turned around slowly looking Gibbs straight in the eye. Immediately the air around them changed. "What is it?" His voice was steady but she could see a hint of fear creep into his eyes and she instantly felt sorry for him.

"That was your daughter on the phone. There is a hostage situation at the high school. She and six other kids are still trapped inside together with a suicidal teacher with an explosive belt. She is keeping him from pulling the cord with an unloaded Glock. She needs us to get their before the teacher notices that the weapon is not loaded."

While saying this she had already holstered her gun and swung her bag pack over her shoulder. She grabbed the car keys and stalked over to the elevator leaving the feeling of shock behind her. There was no room for feelings now. Seconds later Gibbs was by her side and tried to grab the keys out of her hand but she pushed him back and grabbed his arm before he could try again. She really couldn't blame him. His eyes were full of emotions and she couldn't stop wondering if there was a story to all the hurt she could see in his eyes. He was the most guarded person she knew besides herself and seeing him this uncontrolled sightly threw her off balance. But she had promised Kelly to take the lead and that was exactly what she was going to do. She didn't know the girl but she was Gibbs daughter and that was enough information for her to know there was no way they were gonna lose her today.

They stepped into the elevator and as soon as it began to move Jenny flipped the switch. "What the heck are you doing? We need to get to the school now." She had expected that he would jump right into her face so she just stood her ground and glared at him until he stopped. "What Kelly needs right now are agents who can keep their cool in there and won't freak out or do something stupid so tell me, Agent Gibbs, can you keep your cool today?" The question hang in the air like a thundercloud and to her surprise Gibbs took a deep breath before he looked at her again. This time with a steel like expression on his face. He got himself under control again. "Yes." After flipping the switch again Jenny nodded with the same expression on her face. "Let's get her out of there."

Later Gibbs would realize that this was the first time Jenny Shepard stood up to him - and he let her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Confiden** t

A/N: I'm sorry for the long delay. I had my last A-level exam yesterday and had to study 24/7 during the last week. I promise to update more often from now on. The song is 'Confident' by Demi Lovato.

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 _After flipping the switch again Jenny nodded with the same expression on her face. "Let's get her out of there."_

Thanks to Jenny's driving they made it to the school in under 5 minutes, which was pretty impressive. Hadn't Gibbs been purely focused on saving his daughter he might have commented with a joke or two. But joking was out of question for both of them right now.

Jenny hit the breaks directly in front of the school entrance and before the car could come to a complete stop both front doors flew open. After they duck under the security tape they fell into step beside each other, creating a force of determination. But before they could reach the door that would lead them inside, one of the local police officers stopped them.

He put his hand on Jenny's shoulder and pushed her back a little. "I'm sorry ma'am. You can't go in there." What came next surprised not only the officer but Gibbs as well. "The hell I can't. We are NCIS. I'm going to walk inside this school and I'm going to secure the situation because you are clearly not able to do so. So I suggest you get your sorry ass out of my way and let my partner and I pass before I have to shoot you."

When the officer said nothing but didn't step out of the way either, Jenny took a step closer and attempted to stare him down. He held her gaze for 5 seconds then he gave in. "At least talk to my boss first, please." She groaned and turned on her heel. "Fine." Gibbs trailed slightly behind her and smiled like an idiot, forgetting the seriousness of the situation for a moment. "Partner?" Jenny rolled her eyes. "Just shut up."

"I take it you are the boss then?" Officer O'Neal turned around and found himself face to face with a beautiful young redhead. "Depends on who is asking sugar." Jenny scoffed and fired right back. "Someone who isn't married." She raised her eyebrows and nodded towards his left hand. The officer cleared his throat and had the good grace to look at least a little bit embarrassed at being caught but Jenny didn't give him time to adjust to the situation. "We are here to take over. One of the girls in this building is the daughter of my boss so this is NCIS jurisdiction. We also have information that might be helpful. So were do we stand?" Without batting an eyelid she used rule seven flawlessly.

A few minutes later Jenny and Gibbs studied a map that showed the outline of the high school. "Is he using a dead men's switch?" Officer O'Neal just shrugged with his shoulders. "We don't know. We couldn't get a good view inside the room. All blinds are down and the window in the classroom door is too small to get an overview." Putting her sidearm out of it's holster and checking it over Jenny nodded. "We have to go inside and take him out before he blows everything up." "That's too dangerous. I won't allow it." The officer tried to put on a brave face but failed miserably. "Then it is a good thing I don't have to ask for your permission."

"So what's the plan?" Gibbs looked momentarily confused. "You don't have a plan?" Jenny smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "My plan is to walk in, get a picture of the situation and then talk this guy out of blowing up the school. Just thought I'd ask if you had a better one?" Before he had a chance to answer the SWAT team who escorted them to the classroom came to an abrupt stop in front of the door in question. All of a sudden Jenny's expression changed and she was fully in agent mode. They took their places on the left and right side of the door. "Kelly, it's Jenny. I'm in front of the door. Please open the door if you are able to." Her voice was just loud enough to hear it on the other side of the door so she wouldn't scare the suicidal teacher into any sudden moves. They heard footsteps on the other side and pulled out their sidearms. Just before the door opened Gibbs turned to Jenny. "I'll have your six." She couldn't ask for anything more.

When the door to the classroom opened slowly Agent Jennifer Shepard kept her cool. Jenny on the other hand was astonished how much Kelly Gibbs looked like her dad. Her eyes were even more intense then her fathers and the blue depth offered a variation of different emotions. The red hair was what got to Jenny the most. Somehow she hadn't believed Stan and Will when they had bickered about her being Gibbs type because of her hair color. Now she wasn't so sure anymore.

The girl couldn't be older than fifteen but she was standing her ground. Her stance stable and her eyes and gun directed at the men on the other side of the classroom. Without missing a beat or looking away she started to talk slowly and in the calmest voice Jenny had ever heard. "Hey, I'm Kelly. Nice to meet you Agent Shepard. I'm glad you got my message. Why did you bring the old men through?" She really tried to lighten the mood but there was no doubt she was afraid and tired. Kelly was obviously glad they showed up. "May I introduce, this is Mr. Gorden. I promised him I would let him blow everything up after I had a last talk with my dad. I know you could make it happen Jenny. He's very determined to pull this off right. As soon as I have talked to my dad I'm going to put my weapon down and then Mr. Gorden can do what he has to." Her words might not have made sense for anyone else but Gibbs and Jenny could read between the lines.

The teacher was obviously nervous as hell. His thumb hovered over the dead men's switch and he was pacing through the room like a caged animal. Jenny knew what Kelly meant. There was no way to talk the teacher out of this, he had nothing left to lose. Shooting him was the only option and it had to happen fast. Otherwise they would all end up scattered across the floor. Jenny offered the young scared children who were sitting by the window a short reassuring glance. Then she looked at Kelly and nodded.

Gibbs watched the wordless encounter in horror. He had to stay near Kelly and pretend to talk to her and comfort her while Jenny made her way slowly backwards and tried to get a better angel at the teacher who was now watching Kelly and him talk. Jenny and him had hid their sidearms before they had entered the room after Kelly had given Gibbs the sign for 'no violence' behind her back. The weapons would only tip the teacher off. So he tried to be as calm as possible and hoped to god Jenny would get an angel where she could aim at his heart because she never ever targeted the head before.

And then suddenly everything went wrong. Jenny had nearly reached the perfect shooting point when they could hear loud sirens coming towards the building. The teachers breathing got to the point were he hyperventilated and started to shout incoherent words. Gibbs pushed Kelly behind him in a silly attempt to shield her from the explosion that was about to come. But as the teacher turned around with his thumb on the switch Gibbs and Jenny locked eyes for a brief second. "Jen." The uncertainty in his voice was the thing that pushed her over the edge. She raised her gun and fired. Taking the chance without so much as a second thought. The limb body of Kelly's teacher fell to the ground. Leaving Gibbs and his daughter stunned.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Expect Jenny. She was pissed. After checking if the other kids in the room were fine and letting the guys from the bomb-unit inside she made her way over to Gibbs. "Never, ever doubt my ability to pull of a shot like that again. Just because I prefer to aim for anything but the head doesn't mean I can't. It's bad enough that you can't seem to accept me, it's even worse that you don't trust me." And with that she left, leaving a pissed Gibbs behind. But before he could go after her and give her a piece of his mind he received a very hard head slap. Gibbs turned around to find Kelly looking nearly as angry as Jenny. "You are a bastard. Fix it."

He could stop her right before she got in the cab she called. He felt even worse when he realized they had drove his car here and she wasn't even comfortable enough to ride home with him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He waited until she finally looked up and then locked this gaze with hers. „I'm sorry." Jenny sucked in a breath. He had just broken rule six. "And thank you." It was all she would get - considering it was Gibbs - that was a lot. She took his outstretched hand and shook it. Maybe he wasn't such a bastard after all.

"Come on, let's grab a milkshake. Agent Shepard, you in?" Kelly Gibbs looked tired and exhausted but she needed some distraction to keep the demons at bay as long as possible. Before Jenny had the chance to answer, Gibbs did. "She is coming." Jenny tried very hard to hold her grin back until he had turned his back on her while she followed him to the car. Kelly walked beside her and slightly bumped her shoulder against Jenny's. "If you can make my dad sit in the backseat I might tell you were the Glock came from." Jenny's smile grew wider at the thought of Gibbs in the backseat. Maybe the key to him was his daughter after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Count on me**

A/N: Sorry, somehow I lost my ideas during the last weeks. The song is ‚Count on me' by Bruno Mars.

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 _Jenny's smile grew wider at the thought of Gibbs in the backseat. Maybe the key to him was his daughter after all._

Saying the working atmosphere on the MCRT improved in the following weeks was a huge understatement. Jenny wasn't completely sure what exactly did the trick but the answer could probably be found somewhere between saving Kelly and pulling off the perfect headshot. But whatever it was it did wonders for everyone involved.

The tension, who had been a constant companion before, just disappeared. The ever developing trust between Jenny and Gibbs led to more solved cases, less paperwork and definitely less shouting matches. With time they got to know each other properly and learned to function as a team. At the beginning Burley and Decker had been delighted that they could stop to find hiding places whenever Sheppard and Gibbs butted heads. But soon they learned that a united front resulted in a lot more head-slaps than necessary.

From there it went downhill for Burley and Decker. The final straw had been when it came to the point where Gibbs and Jenny started to complete each others sentences. That, Burley decided, was definitely creepy.

Jenny and Gibbs didn't see it that way. They actually started to love working together, realizing how the other person could complete their line of thoughts without so much as a second guess. And eventually, without noticing, they became friends.

The first time Jenny realized something had changed was when she was sitting on an old, worn out couch in her soon-to-be partners basement, his daughters feet in her lab and a tumbler of bourbon in hand. Looking at it like that wasn't as special as you might think, but considering it was the third time that week and it was only Friday Jenny realized something had definitely changed. She hadn't felt that comfortable in someone's presence for a long time. She couldn't decide if she liked it or if it started to freak her out.

A well placed kick to her ribs brought her out of her thoughts. "Hey Miss, would you mind giving the chocolate back before it completely disappears down your throat?" Kelly's light blue eyes bored a whole in the side of Jenny's head while she realized she had been starring at Gibbs working on the boat and had completely forgot about the teenage girl next to her. Jenny lazy turned her head over to the girl, acting as if she had heard Kelly all along and had just ignored her on purpose. With a quick movement of her wrist the chocolate bar made it's way over to the other end of the couch and hit Kelly right between the eyes. With a satisfying smirk Jenny let herself fall back into the couch. "Your welcome." At that Kelly practically fumed.

That was another thing. At the beginning Jenny hadn't realized that Kelly would be a part of the package that was her partnership with Gibbs. Jenny had never been the motherly type and so she had never thought about children. But Kelly wasn't a child anymore. She was a smart and witty young women even if Gibbs still treated her like a child sometimes. Spending time with her had been weird at first but after some time Jenny had realized that Kelly brought out a side in her that she didn't even new existed. It made her feel good. Better than she had felt in years. On the opposite Jenny's presence in the Gibbs household did Kelly good. Growing up without a women around had been hard and she hadn't particular liked her fathers ex-wives. But Jenny was different on so many levels.

After recovering from the shock of getting hit with a chocolate bar Kelly wiggled her bare feet in front of Jenny's face who in return frowned. "No Kelly, not today." But Kelly just stuck her tongue out and laughed. "You lost the bet so you have to give me a massage and my feet feel extremely horrible today." Jenny groaned and started to work on the teenager's left foot. Suddenly interested in the girls conversation Gibbs stopped working on the boat and looked around one of the ribs. "What bet?", he asked while narrowing his eyes. Jenny and Kelly looked at each other and then shrugged heir shoulders. "Don't know what you mean Gibbs", they replied simultaneously without missing a beat. Gibbs snorted. He didn't like that they were talking behind his back. Little did he know that the subject of the bet had been his date from two nights ago. Kelly had given the poor women and hour before she would run for the hills. Jenny on the other hand had said Gibbs would bring her home, having in mind how amazing he looked in just a white, tight t-shirt and coming to the conclusion that no one could resist his looks. But as always Kelly had won, knowing her father far better than Jenny did. After all the women hadn't been a redhead.

After some minutes of comfortable silence Kelly bumped her shoulder lightly against Jenny's. "Hey, you up for a movie marathon tomorrow night?" Jenny smiled but shook her head. „Can't. I have a date." Automatically Kelly sat up straighter. "Really? With whom?" Jenny just rolled her eyes and noticed with amusement that Gibbs had stopped sanding his boat again and was looking just as curious as Kelly did. "Remember when your dad dragged me to the hospital a week ago because of that cut on my forehead." Kelly just nodded, remembering how persistent her dad had been. "The doctor who treated me called me a few days ago, saying he stole the number from my file and asked me out. He was cute so I said yes." While Jenny smiled slightly, Kelly squealed and Gibbs just snorted. "Call me afterwards and tell me how it went?" The redhead nodded. "Sure thing kiddo."

The next day Jenny woke up in her bedroom with a slight headache. She faintly remembered that the amount of alcohol had increased after Kelly had went to bed. But that was about it. However she didn't remember how she got home. Hopefully Gibbs had called her a cab and didn't drive himself. Looking at the clock she realized it was just after 12 and she should probably get ready. After all her date would pick her up around 4:30.

Time flew by. After a nice breakfast with a lot of coffee, Jenny went upstairs again to pick an outfit. The following hours were spend with showering, shaving, painting, straightening and curling. In fact she just finished putting lipstick on when the doorbell rang. Todd Gelfand was a tall man with broad shoulders and dark brown hair and eyes. He was handsome but inconspicuous.

All in all Jenny had a nice afternoon. Todd was nice enough to begin with but he didn't take her breath away. He was a little self-regarding and talked way to much about work. Sure, Jenny was a workaholic herself but the little free time she had was always spent wisely. So when her phone went off shortly after they were served dinner, Jenny hoped for just a second that her team got a case. She didn't like to pretend to get to know someone when she already knew that he wasn't the one.

"Shepard." In her haste to answer the phone Jenny hadn't even bothered to check the caller ID. "It's Gibbs. I really don't want to bother you but… I'm not sure what…" Jenny was confused. Gibbs stuttering? Something was wrong. He wouldn't call her on her free night unless it was urgent. "Gibbs quit beating around the bush. What is it?" She heard his heavy breathing through the line and really started to worry. "It's Kelly." Without really noticing Jenny's heart rate increased and she stopped breathing for a few seconds. "Whats wrong?", was all she could get out. Again she was met with a few moment of silence before she got an answer. "I don't know. She's in pain but she refuses to see a doctor or Ducky. She doesn't want to talk to me. I'm running out of ideas here." While he talked Jenny had already packed up her things and was on her way to the door. "I'll be there in 10." She ended the call without waiting for a reply. "You have to go?" Damn. She nearly forget her date who was still sitting at the table but to be honest he was the least of her concerns right now. "Work", was all she said and with that she was out of the restaurant and hailed a cab.

10 minutes later she arrived at her destination. Knowing the door was unlocked she stormed inside. Leaving her bag and her coat in the hallway. She jogged up the stairs taking two at a time and came to an abrupt halt in front of Kellys door. Gibbs turned around when he heard Jenny on the stairs and was momentarily stunned. All his concerns about Kelly were forgotten as he looked at his probie slash partner coming up the stairs. She wore a little black number which ended mid-tight and had a pretty impressive neckline. Her black heels made her legs impossible long and her hair fell in even waves down her back. She looked quite simply beautiful.

But Jenny was having none of this. She was too focused on the cranky teenager behind the closed door. She shoved Gibbs aside and knocked lightly on the door. "Kelly, it's me Jenny. Can I come in?" Kelly's response was quiet but noticeable. Jenny opened the door slowly, slipped inside and closed it again.

She walked over to the big bed and sat on the side, stroking some hair out of the teenagers face. "Kelly what's wrong. Your dad is worried and so am I. What's the matter? Are you sure you don't need a doctor?" Kelly shook her head but flinched when the movement caused her even more pain. "I just have cramps." Jenny needed a few seconds for it to sink in. "Cramps? But what.. oh." She noticed the open tampon box beside the bed and realized what the problem was. "But why didn't you just tell your dad?" Kelly scoffed. "He still thinks I'm 5." Jenny just shook her head in disbelieve. "He doesn't know?" The teenager laughed softly. "No. I buy my stuff by myself. At the beginning my period wasn't that heavy. But within the last year it got a lot worse and I started to be really sick sometimes. Until today I could always cover it but I really feel like crap right now. I didn't know what to tell my dad. I hoped he would call you." The older redhead let out a breath and nodded. She knew what Kelly meant. Her period hadn't been a subject she had discussed with her dad after her mom had died. She knew who difficult it was when no one got your problem. She stroke the girl's face for a few moment to calm her a little bit. "I'm going to get you a hot-water bottle, some medicine and tee. Just stay put."

She left the room quietly and closed the door behind her. She went downstairs and in the kitchen where she found Gibbs leaning against the cabinets. "Did you find out what's wrong with her?" He was extremely worried and Jenny felt really sorry for him. "Yes. Nothing's wrong with her." Gibbs looked confused. "But what's her problem then?" Jenny scoffed under her breath. She couldn't believe how unsuspecting he was. "She has cramps Gibbs." He was still looking at her confused. "It's her time of the month", Jenny tried again. Still, no reaction. "Damn it Gibbs. She's on her period." His disbelieving face was the funniest thing Jenny had seen all evening. "Why does she have her period?" Jenny couldn't believe that a man who was so brilliant in his job was so ignorant at home. So she did the only thing she could think of. The head slap that followed was hard enough to get him out of his trance. "She is nearly 16. Of course she already has her period. What did you expect? A warning in the mail?" And with that she took all the necessities and walked upstairs again, leaving a stunned Gibbs behind.

Hours later Gibbs stood in the doorway to his daughters bedroom watching Jenny laying on the bed with Kelly, one arm around her shoulders, talking to her soothingly. Kelly looked better. Still in pain but better. Gibbs couldn't begin to describe how grateful he was for Jenny in this moment. She managed the situation with such lightness it was ridicules. But watching Kelly and Jenny together also brought pain he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't help thinking what Shannon would have done. And for a moment he feared that the memories would be too strong to bear. But than he found Jenny's green eyes in the darkness of the room and somehow she brought him back to the present.

Jenny had seen that far-away look a few times in Gibbs eyes when Kelly and her interacted. She hadn't asked about Kelly's mother and she wasn't going to. But she knew it was something that constantly haunted Gibbs. She would like to help him but she wasn't ready to fight the demons that came with loss herself. She wasn't going to force him to open up when she knew how easy it was to just stay closed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Only Love**

A/N: The song is 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' by Paloma Faith.

* * *

The first time she fully realized that her feelings towards Gibbs were developing towards a highly unprofessional direction it hit her like a ton of bricks. She seriously wasn't expecting it. And she definitely wasn't prepared for what it meant for her future.

It was the end of June and hot as hell in Washington. Even the criminals were staying inside their own homes where they had air-conditioning which resulted in no cases for the MCRT. Considering the only two left were Gibbs and Shepard you couldn't quite say 'team'. It was more like a really small gang which just happened to have the best clear-up rate in DC.

Burley and Decker had been relocated in mid June, one and a half month earlier than planned. But with Shepard and Gibbs working together as if they had never done anything else in their life there simply had been no need for them to stay.

So it was needless to say that it was calm in HQ. So calm in fact that Jenny Shepard started questioning her sanity. With nothing to do expect undressing herself layer after layer and watching Gibbs at his desk doing god knows what her mind often went to places it wasn't supposed to. So on this particular Friday morning she prayed to god that something spectacular would happen to take her mind off things. Later that day she was going to regret that wish deeply.

The day started with Jenny arriving at the office at nine a clock. Two hours later than usual. With really nothing to do there was no need to roll out of bed so early in the morning just to sit behind her desk all day. To her surprise Gibbs wasn't there when she arrived so Jenny busied herself with rearranging the things on her desk once, then twice. Just as she was about to do it a third time out of pure boredom the elevator noise made her turn around in her seat. She let out a good-hearted sigh when she spotted Gibbs with two large coffee's in his hands.

That was how they started every morning. Gibbs would bring her coffee and she would sit on the edge of his desk drinking it. They would talk about their latest case or Kelly or anything that got their interest. But today just as Jenny was about to sit on her partner's desk and take the first gulp of the dark, hot liquid their director's voice echoed down from the catwalk. "Sheppard, Gibbs. In my office. Now." Jenny cringed and Gibbs groaned. That could only mean one thing - trouble.

Taking two steps at a time they sprinted upstairs and found themselves in the director's office just mere seconds later. Tom Morrow was already sitting behind his desk. "Take a seat please." His tone left no space for arguing. Jenny thoughtfully sipped her coffee and started wondering what exactly they did wrong. But instead of saying something Morrow just handed them a white envelop each. Jenny and Gibbs exchanged a short, curious look and then opened their letters.

Jenny was the first to discover the content. "An invitation to the Washington Summer Night Ball?" But before Morrow had the chance to answer Gibbs groaned loudly and the director smirked. "It seems as Agent Gibbs is already aware what that invitation means. The ball is tonight and the SecNav is getting a little paranoid. Reelections are in October and he's going to run for office again. In his opinion that makes him a target for every criminal in DC. We already have more than enough security outside but SecNav requested 'undercover' agents inside as well. So because of that you two have the pleasure to attend tonight as a married couple. It isn't a deep cover at all so you should have no problem with your alias. You just have to discreetly guard the SecNav." Gibbs groaned again but Jenny looked mildly excited. "Do we have to? I mean why can't Pacci's team do that?" Morrow smirked at Gibbs's obvious discomfort. "Because you and Shepard got to skip weekend duty three weeks in a row. See it as payback." Now it was Jenny's turn to groan. She somehow knew they wouldn't just get a way with skipping every weekend they were planned in for. "If you have no questions, I'll dismiss you so you can get ready. I want you at the ball at 1800 sharp. No excuses, no moaning and Gibbs - a tuxedo is in order." Gibbs just looked as if he wanted to slam his head against the nearest wall - repeatedly. Jenny smiled to herself. No matter how awful that ball was going to be, seeing her partner suffering about this was more amusing than anything else could ever be.

1700 rolled around rather quickly and made Jenny realize that she should probably hurry up and get dressed if she didn't want Gibbs to get a coronary. The last hours had been spent dress shopping and showering. When she opened the kitbag she couldn't help but smile to herself. The dress was gorgeous. It was floor length, black, tight and off the shoulders. On the left side was a pretty impressive cut up to her tight and the back of the dress dipped low. It was a classic, simple dress but looked amazing nonetheless.

She had just put on the necklace her father had given her for her 18th birthday when she heard a knock on the front door. Seconds later she heard Noami opening the door and ushering Gibbs inside. She checked herself in the floor length mirror one last time and then grabbed her bag from the side table and made her way towards the stairs.

Gibbs jaw dropped to the floor as soon as he saw Jenny coming down the stairs. She had looked beautiful the other night when she had come to his house straight from her date. Today she looked stunning. Her hair fell down her shoulders in soft waves and looked like it was on fire. Her skin contrasted with the dark dress in a beautiful way. And her eyes. Her eyes shone brighter than he had ever seen them shine. He needed a moment to realize that she was now standing next to him and was smiling up at him. "You okay Gibbs?" He just gulped and nodded. For just a second he wished she had called him Jethro so it would suit the intimacy of the moment. But she was his friend and his partner - nothing more. He held his arm out for her to grab and with a quick goodbye to Noami over their shoulder they walked out of the house.

They walked up the stair to the old city hall at 1800 sharp. They were about to enter when Gibbs stopped his partner. He pulled a box out of his pocket, opened it and took Jenny's left hand in his. "You ready for this Mrs. Jones?" For a moment Jenny just starred at the two golden wedding bands in the box. When she looked up and into his eyes again she looked determined. "Sure." And with that she took the larger band from the box and put it on her partners ring finger, never loosing eye contact. He returned the favor and from that moment on they were different people. All thoughts about Kelly, work or unresolved feelings were forgotten. Gibbs let the box slide back into his pocket and pulled his wife closer by the waist. In return Jenny put one of her hands over his and leaned her head on her shoulder. Without doubt they made a nice couple.

The following few hours were spent with discreet observing and a little bit acting. It wasn't really hard for Jenny and Gibbs to pretend they were married. After all their partnership was based on trust and friendship. The only thing missing was the part where they were madly in love but pretending that there was more wasn't as difficult as they originally thought. They never stayed far from each other and there was always a fleeting touch or an intimate smile that indicated that the couple had chemistry.

It was nearly midnight when Gibbs finally had the courage to ask Jenny to dance with him. He had put it off until last minute because he wasn't sure of her answer. But she had simply smiled at him and nodded her head. They danced for a while, both positively surprised how well their bodies fitted to together, when the music changed to something slower Gibbs pulled Jenny a little closer and she put her hands around his neck. When they finally looked at each other the air around them seemed to be electric. On of Jenny's hands which had been located at the base of his neck shifted to his cheek but just when she was about to say something her posture changed. Her whole body tensed and her eyes went wide. "Gibbs." Her voice was warning and cold and had nothing to do with the feelings that were on display mere minutes before. She had shifted in Agent-Mode faster than he could blink.

Gibbs instantly reached for his weapon and turned around just in time to see one of the waiters who had had a heated discussion with SecNav's security detail pull a weapon from under his apron. And then everything went out of hand. Before either of the the agents could blink the security detail lay on the ground, blood staining his suit. Gibbs very first instinct was to push Jenny out of the line of fire because the couple stood in the middle of the dance floor, directly between SecNav and the waiter. When Gibbs was sure Jenny was as secure as she could be in such a situation he raised his weapon and turned around again. Before he could fire a single shot he stumbled backwards and was forced to the ground by a bullet to the stomach and one to the chest. Behind him Jenny pulled her weapon from her tight and fired three rounds. Hitting the gunmen in the leg, the stomach and right between the eyes before he could get to the SecNav. She didn't check if the SecNav was okay through because her only concern was the men laying by her feet. She crouched down next to him and checked him over. He was already pale and sweaty. His white shirt was stained with blood. She pressed her hands down hard on his wounds to stop at least a little bit of the blood that was seeping through his clothes. Around her everything went down in chaos but she didn't realize anything, not even that she was shouting for help. Only when her voice cracked and tears begun to form in her eyes did she notice that she indeed had said something.

When she pressed a little harder on the wounds Gibbs gasped and opened his eyes. He hissed in pain but wasn't able to move. Instead he tried to say something but the words just wouldn't leave his lips. He tried again but Jenny put a hand over his mouth. "Shut up!" She tried to sound playful and brave but the tears kept spilling over and her hands started to shake violently. Gibbs put his hand on top of hers and squeezed lightly. "Jen, tell Kelly that… that.." His voice broke again. Jenny just shook her head violently. "Don't you dare giving up on me Jethro. I need you and Kelly needs you even more. You need to stay awake." But his eyes just kept sliding close and there was nothing Jenny could do about it. "Jethro, please." Her voice cracked and she couldn't help to think what she would have to tell Kelly.

Her whole body arched and the moment she noticed he had stopped breathing her feelings went into overdrive. Without warning she realized that she wasn't just afraid that he could die. She was terrified. She was sure friendly feelings weren't supposed to feel like this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Changes**

A/N: The song is 'Changes' by SAARLOOS

* * *

 _Her voice cracked and she couldn't help thinking what she would have to tell Kelly._

The beeping of her mobile seemed unbelievable loud in her ears. She had lost track of time a while ago so she wasn't exactly sure how long she had been in the cold, white waiting-room of the hospital. For her it felt like days. She had blood all over her but she refused to wash it off. Leaving the waiting room for just a second would mean possibly missing news on her partner's condition. That couldn't happen.  
After pacing the room for what felt like the hundreds time, Jenny realized she needed to make some calls. She called Ducky first, simply because he was the only one who could offer some kind of comfort. She had called Morrow after that. She had told him what happened without freaking out and had been very neutral about everything. Never in her life had she needed so much self-control.  
And now she was making the worst of all calls. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and her fingers were running nervously through her tangled locks. Somehow she hoped that she wouldn't answer the phone but she was Jethro's daughter after all. There was no way she would ignore rule 3. She answered after the fifth ring. "Kelly Gibbs."

Jenny Shepard hadn't been scared all that often in her life. Her father had told her that there was always something that was more important than fear and she believed in that. But now, standing in a hospital in blood stained clothes and a teenage girl on the other end of the phone, she felt terrified. That feeling seemed to appear all that often lately and it was definitely beginning to get to her.

"Kelly, it's Jenny." For a while there was just silence on the other end until she heard Kelly clear her throat. "What happened? How bad is it?" Jenny closed her eyes for a second and then she took a deep breath. She wasn't going to lie but the truth was so much harder to talk about. "It's bad. Ducky is going to be at your friends house in about five minutes. He's going to drive you to the hospital. I'm here waiting for you, okay?" Silent tears rolled over her cheeks when she heard Kelly sobbing on the other end of the line. She was 15. She wasn't supposed to lose both her parents at that age.

When Jenny ended the call she looked down at herself and realized she had to change into clean clothes if she didn't want Kelly to panic even more. Luckily she still had a bag with spare clothes in Jethro's car which she had driven to the hospital earlier. The speed with which she changed was remarkable. After checking with a nurse that she didn't miss any important news she sat back down - waiting again.

She heard Kelly before she actually saw her. She was sitting on one of these uncomfortable plastic chairs, her head in her hands, trying to compose herself, when she heard someone running down the corridors. As the noise got louder she also heard soft sobbing. Jenny was out of her seat and facing the hallway before Kelly had the chance to survey the waiting room. When she finally noticed Jenny she flung herself into her arms, staining her t-shirt with tears in the progress. When Jenny noticed tears welling up in her own eyes, she maneuvered Kelly and herself back to the plastic seats and buried her face in the dark crimson hair of the sobbing teenager.

"It's okay, honey. It's going to be fine." She didn't know who she was trying to convince, Kelly or herself? Only then she noticed Ducky. He was standing a few meters away, leaning against the wall and observing the scene in front of him with a small smile one his face. When he met her gaze he might have seen something she wasn't ready to admit just yet, wasn't even sure how real it was but if he had indeed noticed he never mentioned it.

It took about an hour for Jenny and Kelly to calm down properly and for Jenny to tell the story of what had happened at the ball. The closeness of each other had brought a calmness to the situation no one had expected. But just sitting there, leaning against each other made them both feel a lot safer than they had expected. It felt like they sat like that for hours when finally a doctor came out of the ICU.

"Family of Agent Gibbs?" Kelly and Jenny jumped out of their seats and rushed over to where the doctor was standing a little out of the way. "Agent Gibbs next of kind is a Kelly Gibbs?!" "That would be me." Kelly raised her hand and looked just the tiniest bit proud. The doctor nodded understandingly, wrote down something on his chart and then turned his attention to Jenny. "And you are?" Jenny stood and stared for a moment before Kelly saved the situation. "She's my mom and my dad's wife." "I'm his dad", Ducky piped up. They didn't have time for another round of questioning. While Jenny still looked a little bit stunned, the doctor started to update them on Jethro's status.

"Agent Gibbs suffered from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. His condition was critical due to the blood loss and we nearly lost him twice on the operation table but we managed to stop the bleeding, remove the bullets and get his circulation going again. He's in ICU right now and is still sleeping. He is going to be in pain for a few weeks but after that he is going to be okay." Kelly, Jenny and Ducky let out a long held breath and Jenny felt like it was the first time she could breath again after what had happened. "Can we see him?" Kelly sounded so sweet and eager there was no way the doctor could deny her anything. He just nodded understandingly. "A nurse will escort you to his room but I suggest only two people at a time."

When the doctor left, Ducky put his coat back on and hugged both women shortly. "I'll let you two be. I'm going to take care of the body they, with no doubt, already sent me and try help the team that got assigned the case. I'll be back later with breakfast." And with that he was down the hall and through the door.

Shortly after that a nurse escorted Jenny and Kelly to a tiny room in the west wing of the hospital. Kelly entered first and Jenny stood outside fo a few seconds, taking a deep breath and preparing herself for what was about to come. When she entered the room she couldn't help noticed how fragile and white her partner looked in that hospital bed. He almost looked dead and she had to close her eyes against the emotions that arose with that thought. He was alive and she held on to that fact as if it was her lifeline. She supposed that somehow it was. While Jenny sat down on a chair next to Jethro's bed side, Kelly sad on the edge of the bed holding his large hand in hers.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Jethro actually woke up. Kelly was long asleep on the couch in the far corner of the room while Jenny hadn't closed her eyes for one second. She had been too afraid that he might stop breathing and nobody would notice.

At first his eyelids just fluttered but then Jenny started to see more and more of the deep blues she was so used to. "Jen", he croaked out but she hushed him with her hand, looking at him intently. "Rest, it's fine. Kelly is here sleeping, you're going to be okay, just rest." He nodded and took her hand that was still covering his mouth in his, squeezing it. "Thank you." She didn't need more and he knew that. He closed his eyes again but didn't let go of her hand and she made no move of taking it back. She sat like that for hours and silently asked herself what the hell she was doing.

Days later when she finally was able to leave the hospital after knowing that Gibbs was indeed going to be okay she went home, took a shower, changed her clothes and got into her car. The drive to Arlington was quiet. She turned the radio down, not being able to listen to anything while her head was full of questions. When she arrived at the cemetery she made a short detour to her dad's grave before she set off to her favorite place.

Sitting down on one of the marble benches she looked straight ahead into the white marble pavilion, reading the inscription. When we assumed the soldier we did not lay aside the citizen. The Memorial Amphitheater was empty at this early hour, the tourists weren't around yet. This memorial always made her think about both sides of the story, it was a place she could properly reflect about what was happening and sort through her thoughts. She had made out that hiding place even before her dad had died and ever since she came here when she needed to be alone.

The last days had confused her. There were feelings that she had never had and emotions she thought were long lost. But he had a child and he was her boss. Otherwise she would have slept with him to get all the sexual tension out of the way and then she would have walked away, ignoring all the other feeling that might be there. But it was more difficult than that. She wasn't just attracted to him, she cared - deeply - and since she had admitted that to herself there was no way of just ignoring the fact that theses feelings were there. And then there was also their friendship. Before everything else they had been friends, partners. That was what she should focus on. Her partner, her career, her goals. Determined to make a few changes Jenny left the cemetery. Focussing on what she could handle and sorting out what she wanted.

Weeks after the shooting Gibbs finally returned to work only to find that his old partner was gone. Not literally gone but in every other sense. She was still friendly but somehow colder. She didn't come over to the house anymore. She still talked to Kelly but even that had minimized. She didn't seem pissed or angry at him. She just was distant. And he couldn't figure out why. Every time he tried to approach her personally she blocked it off. The changes that happened in their partnership and interaction with each other became so obvious to him that after a while he got so desperate that he was thinking off openly calling her out on her behavior when something else got in the way. Morrow had always had a special timing and this time around he really outdid himself. Saying this was going the be a disaster didn't even come close…


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: More than friends**

A/N: Song by Meghan Trainor  
Hey guys, I'm super sorry I haven't updated in ages but I started law school in summer and saying that I'm swamped with work is an understatement. I seriously think I've never did that much work in my entire life. Exams are coming up soon but I'll try and get this story going again.

 _Morrow had always had a special timing but this time around he really outdid himself. Saying this was going to be a disaster didn't even come close..._

Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't consider himself an expert concerning women but after three marriages and a good amount of girlfriends he thought he kind of got their way of thinking. But apparently Jennifer Shepard was an exception. When he first started to work with her he couldn't figure her out and it had bucked him. But after he came to trust her as a professional and a friend he had pushed his first thoughts aside. Now he realized that this had been a mistake. He still couldn't figure her out and that fact alone made it distinctively harder to find out what the hell was wrong with her.

Her mood had only gotten worse when he had returned to work. He couldn't exactly put his finger on it but her mood bothered him. He used all his free time to wreck his brain about what he could possibly have said that had set her off but he just couldn't come up with anything. He came to a point where he was so desperate to get the old Jenny back that he considered asking Kelly for advise. But the teenager had enough on her plate already, she didn't need to deal with his problems as well... So on the day he finally worked up enough courage to call her out on her behavior, Morrow threw them in for a completely different loop. He called them up shortly after they arrived that morning and let them wait in his office for a total of twenty minutes before he cared to show up. By that time Gibbs was pretty pissed off and annoyed as hell because Jenny seemed totally unimpressed by the situation. When Morrow finally walked in, he carried two dark blue folders with their names on it. He slowly sat down behind his table and stared at them for a moment. When he was satisfied with the undivided atention he seemed to have he handed each of his agents a folder.

For Jenny it felt like the day Gibbs and herself got the invitations to the summer ball. Only thinking about it made her hands tremble slightly and her breathing a little heavier. She took a deep breath before opening the folder - completely unprepared for what was inside. The first words that managed to catch her eye were confusing as hell. Classified. Undercover. Europe. Paris. Married. Her mind went into overdrive. Morrow couldn't be serious. Just as she was trying to get away from Gibbs, Morrow was going to send her undercover with him? As a married couple? Was he crazy or just trying to win the betting pool about Gibbs and her that existed for month now? Her mind was reeling. But then another, a more important thought crossed her mind.

"What about Kelly?" She didn't realize she had said it out loud until both Morrow and Gibbs turned to her - staring. She didn't know why but that was the only question she needed an answer to right now. What was going to happen to the teenage girl when her father was somewhere in Europe doing God knows what? They couldn't just leave her behind. But she had to go to school as well and she definitely wasn't to put into danger.

Gibbs just looked as if the thought hadn't occurred to him until now. But after getting over the first shock he turned away from Jenny and directed his questioning stare at the director instead. For a second Morrow looked lost as if he hadn't realized this would be how the conversation would turn out but with both his agents glaring daggers at him he was fast to give a response.  
"Don't worry, I've taken care of that problem. Kelly is going to join you in Europe. At least partly. I called the school and checked in with her teacher. She is willing to send schoolwork for the next 12 to 18 month over at first. We are not sure how long this assignment will last so we'll be ready in case Kelly needs more material. Ducky is joining in as well, so he is going to take on the role of Kelly's teacher. I just talked to him a few minutes ago. I have never seen anyone so excited by the mentioning of school work but it seems as if his new role as teacher is already exciting him. So with that setteld, would you mind returning to the original topic?" His smile was warm. He obviously knew what Kelly meant to both of them. When he received a nod from both sides he continued. "Your base will be Paris. Your undercover names will be Elizabeth and John Stirling. You've been married for about a year and the trips through Europe are part of an extended honeymoon. Ducky is going to act as John's uncle Robert Murray and is staying in Paris with you. You'll have a few shorter assaingments that will send you down the french coast or even to other european countries. The plan is to hold Kelly out of this but when it comes down to it she will have a cover as John's niece from Florida, Faith Jacobs. She'll be okay to leave the house because your Paris mission is mostly about intel but I suggest to not mention her on any of the other trips you might take. Everything else you need to know about your covers is in these files. Ducky already has his and I have another one for Kelly in my safe. She can pick it up tomorrow after you talked with her and only when she is up to it. I know you are a single dad, Gibbs, so if there should be any reason this doesn't work for you I can find Agent Shepard a different partner for this mission." He took a good look at Gibbs who shook his head forcefully. The last thing he wanted was Jenny acting as a couple with another guy in Paris. "We'll be fine."

Next to him Jenny sighed. She definitely didn't want to be acting to be married to Gibbs but she didn't want any other guy either. She felt torn and suddenly she had no idea what she really wanted. Did she want Gibbs to leaves her alone or not? Maybe if they just got the sexual tension out of the way she would realize that she was just attracted to his body and nothing else. But somehow she didn't quite believe herself when that thought crossed her mind. Well, it seemed like she didn't have a choice. Jenny looked over at Jethro who studied her intently. She knew he knew something changed but she wasn't ready to explain that to him. Actually she wasn't sure she could explain it even if she would be ready. But she had to focus on the task at hand right now and that was this mission and Kelly for that matter. She nodded shortly at Gibbs, the first real connection they had in weeks, and then looked over at Morrow, her gaze determinded. "We'll be fine", she repeated her partners statement. And just like that it was decided. They would fly to Paris, as a married couple, with a teenage girl and a top secret mission. This had the word "disaster" written all over it.

That night she found herself at Gibbs' house again. It had been a while since she had been there and she realized she kind of missed it. For a moment she considered ringing the bell or knocking - she had given up her right to just walk into his house whenever she felt like it weeks ago. But then he would definitely know that something was wrong. So she took a deep breath and walked through the door, leaving her jacket and purse in the fronthall. She left her heels on on purpose. The sound of them on his hardwood floor sounded through the whole house and was a dead giveaway. If he didn't know she was there the minute she pulled into his driveway he now for sure did.  
She walked over to the fridge, got herself a beer and then made her way over to the door that would lead her directly in his basement. He was sanding the boat - like always. And Kelly was sitting on the old couch in the corner, her feet up on a nearby chair, reading a book - like always. A feeling of security swamped over her and she automatically felt guilty. That feeling was another thing she had sworn of when she had decided to distance herself from Gibbs.  
She shook her head to get rid of these thoughts. This was not about her but about Kelly and their mission. She put on a fake smile and walked down the stairs. Kelly squealed the moment she saw Jenny. She jumped up and right into the redheads arms. "Hey, I missed you." Jenny smiled softly at her. "I missed you too kiddo." She didn't offer anything more. She had no explanation and Kelly didn't seem to want one. So that was settled. Kelly pulled her over to the couch and they sat down like they had so many times. "What are you doing here?" Jenny looked over at Gibbs who stopped the sanding and nodded at her. "well, your dad and I have something we need to talk to you about. We.." Kelly suddenly squealed again and happily asked "Are you getting married?" Silence took over the room."What?", exclaimed Jenny and Gibbs at the same time, looking shocked.  
"What?", said Kelly in response. Obviously confused and a little embarrassed. Jenny shook her head again and then cleared her throat. "What I wanted to say was that we got assigned to an undercover operation in Europe. And we want you to join us and Ducky in Paris for as long as the mission is taking." Kelly looked from one to the other, the grin on her face becoming wider and wider." Are you kidding me? Of ourse I'm coming with you. That is so cool. Wait. Am I gonna get an alias too?" Gibbs just nodded and she squealed again. "That is the best early birthday present ever." Then suddenly she got quiet and looked at them. "And what are you going to do the whole time?" Jenny opened her mouth to answer but Gibbs beat her to it. "We are getting married", he quipped. Kelly squealed yet again and Jenny just groaned. What had she gotten herself into?

Later that evening she stood on his front deck looking at him leaning against the door frame. She bid him a quiet good night and turned to leave but his voice stopped her. "Any preferences for an engagement ring?" She looked at him, stunned for a moment and then shook her head. "I trust your gut." And with that she disappeared into the night.

6 days later she was sitting on a plane, looking out of the window and seeing D.c.'s skyline getting smaller and smaller. A ray of sunshine passed through the glass and caught the gorgerous dark blue Saphire rimmed by little clear dimonds on her left ringfinger. Right next to it a simple silver wedding band. She sighed. That was definitely not what she had signed up for. She turned and looked over at her  
"husband" and her "niece" fast asleep in their chairs. She sighed again. So not what she signed up for.


End file.
